Most little girls love sparkle so when planning a princess party all that glitters fit’s the bill. The decorations for this party start on the outside and set the tone for the rest of the festivities.

Use fairy wands to line either side of the walkway leading to the entrance for the party. At the entrance to the venue, make a large sign out of foam board welcoming the guest to the Kingdom of Princess __________ " The sign can also be made on poster board and then inserted into a large gold frame. Scout thrift stores for large framed prints. The print can either be taken out and replaced with the welcome sign or just place the sign over the existing print. Use gold markers or paint to create a frame around the sign with curves and flourishes if you’re not using a frame.



Decorations
A throne for the party princess is a must. Drape her seat with fabric, faux fur, or even a silky tablecloth.



Boas or fairy wings would also be nice on the backs of chairs. Boas can also be used to drape the food table. In addition, place princess tiaras and fairy wands at each setting. Using standard out of the box princess themed paper or plastic dinnerware seems like the natural option. However, this is an area that you don’t want to go overboard with. Stick within a neutral pattern and color so that if you have a supply left it can be used or merged with something else for future parties. The use of other princess items are more than enough to carry out the theme.

Butterflies would also work well. They can be used to close favor bags or be clipped or secured to the back of each chair. They can also be hung from paper lanterns or pom poms to make a mobile.


A stonewall or castle backdrop would be ideal for picture taking. Partycheap.com has a large selection of backdrops and murals. With these, all the walls in a room can be covered completely to transform the party room into the royal kingdom.

As an alternative to stock invitations, check online for printables. Printable packages often include: invitations, banners, food labels, bottle wrappers, cupcake toppers and toppers for favor bags. Many graphic designers offer different free designs. For a small fee they can be customized. To save ink, save the downloads to a flash drive and take them to an office supply store and have them printed on cardstock. Printing them at home is possible, however bold colors use lots of ink. The cost of printing at an office supply store is typically less than a dollar a sheet.


Activities
For an over the top treat for the princess and her loyal subjects, hire someone (preferably someone that the honoree and guests don’t know to be the hostess. Rent a princess costume and have her talk to the girls or depending on the age, read them a story.

Menu
What’s a princess party without a princess cake or cupcakes. Either bake or buy a layer cake (for height). Have it frosted simply and top with sparkle candles or a tiara. Cupcakes can be adorned with mini tiaras, or rings. Other Menu Suggestions:

• Princess Punch - Fruit punch, 7-up and pineapple juice


• Finger sandwiches


• Fruit cups


• Candy Buffet


• Pink Kettlecorn

Bringing the fairy tale to life for your little one will create beautiful memories that will last a lifetime.